HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12419, 31 July 1902, Page 5

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

' TUESDAY, JULY 29. | After _tl(o Telegraph' Office closed nt 2 i o clock in the morning the Estimates wero ; further considered. . . ! On tho voto for < Publio Health Depart-. ment, £17,142, Sir J. O. "WARD stated, in reply to a question that a bill dealing with infectious disease, would be brought down during tho .session,—Mr JAMF.S ALLEN said-a ca;reful cya w'oidd-nave to bo kc.pt by 'the and Parliament to guard against this depart-inont growing beyond bounds. . He admitted tho necessity that liad existed for .the- establishment of the department, but. lie hoped it would not develop into an. department.— Mr. MASSEY was quito satisfied tho public did not want legislation at,the present time, hut they expected their representatives to j keep a careful watch over all expenditure. | —A lengthy discussion ensued, At 4 a.m. a motion to roport progress war, lost by 29 , to 10, and 'shortly afterwurds tha vote passed im'.terod bv.'O to's. . j Office of Industries and Commerce, £8525. 11l reply, to a question; Sir J. G. WARD said no contract had yet been signed with Mr Sleigh for tho South African steamship service.'-If .a contract was not signed soon lie thought the Government ought to doterminei the negotiations.— I The veto passed unaltered... .'-

Tourist and Ho ( ilth. Resorts Department, '■ £20.<iC9-Mr FIRANI complained of Ike manner in whioh fcho Rotonia drainage works had hoop carried _ out.—Sir ,T. G. WARD said Government would find out who was to. :l>!ame in .the matter,—After a lengthy discussion the vote unaltered. At 5.50 Mr MASSKY appealed to Sir J. ' fi. Ward to lot ■ members go homo, but Sir J. 0. WARD urge J that tho class should bo finished.—ln the course of further discussion Sir J. G. WARD ■ denied tho existonce of any arrangement between Mr Seddon and himpolf by which the session was to be kept going until Mr Se-ddon returned to the colony. On the contranyMr Seddon, before his departure! 'expressed a deeiro that tho Inisinesß.of tKo House should be trans-, acted with every possible despatch.—At 7.5 a motion' to report progress, was lost by 29 to B.—Cfonsidetablo .discussion took pI-sco on the vote for Miscellaneous Service?, £23,Z35.~1n roply tb Mr Pirani, Sir i. G. AVAR. I) said the, cost of the mechanical preparation and publication of the book giving an official, acenurit'of tho royal tour of the colony was was taken to this ex.poridi.ture as .wasteful extravagance.— Mr PIRANI. moved to reduce the. item "Further Sum Require jWo Meet Expenses Connected with the It-oval Visit, £2900," by j £5, in order to mark tho House's sense of'. disapproval at the publication and tlx?; character of tho book.—The motion was lost j by 26 to 10..

"Payment. to Renter's Telegram Company for Sposisl Telegrams, £300," Mr PIRANI moved a, reduction by £5 as a- protest against the cost of telegrams sent bv the Government to England.—Lost by 29 to 9,—Tho vpto for Miscellaneous Services 'was then 'agreed. to, and (be whole voto N for tho Colonial Secretary's Depart-.; mon-fc passed. :

Progress reported at 9.5 a.m., and the House adjourned till 2:30.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30. Tin? House" met'at 2.30 p.m. , FIRST READING: The Wober' County Bill (Mr O'Menra), V'aimarino Comity Bill (Mr Hasolden), and New Rivor Harbour Reclamation Bill (Mr liar,an)' were introduced and read a iirst time. THE LOAN BILL. Mr FLATiiIAK resumed the debate on the sccoad 'reading of the Aid to Public Works and Land for' Settlements Dill. He supported the bill, as lie considered it unreasonable in expcci public works to be earned on without borrowing money. Some members should he -more consistent, and if they werb not in favour of further borrowing they'should Ipll their constituents so whon they ehmoursd, for more voles, lie considered the br,:o in peroetuitv preferable to the freehold.

Mr HORNBBY said he had always supported the, freehold tenure, but there should bo a limit :of' the area to prevent the 'Oil of large estates. Notwithstanding the land tax, largo' estates were still growing larger, and legislation was required to prevent large owners grabbing more land. With regard to tho Lean Bill, he pointed, out that not a .member of the Opposition had the politicd courage io advocate the absolnf-c cessation of borrowing. ' If the. country and its resource* wcro to lie ' developed there nnist be judicious borrowing. He twitted tiib Fanner.)' Union with inconsistency in that il wanted a cessation of borrowing, and at the same time called for a reduction in railway rates and the contraction of roads, bridges, etc. He suggested that, the Cro'wii lands of the colony i should be taken as an endowment for ever for old-age pensions.

Ml' .FOWLUS objected to the system of railway construction, awl complaincd that while men were being discharged from the North Tflniul Tronic railway tho Premier was '.turning the rod of nil unnecessary , railway, the North Hokilika lino. He ndvocsitcd tile completion ol the Paeroa-Waihi railway,as of the first importance, and next to that lie nlaced tho North Island Trunk railway. • i Mr MkUEDJWI thought the crying need I of the House was a strong party of colonial ' economists. In hi? opinion this year's Budget represented a plunging poliev. He con- J sidered that a quarter of a million could j have been saved in the annual appropriations. He was not prepared to vote for loan than £1,000,000. He strongly advocated the completion, of tho Waipara to Picton line, I

Mr M'LACBLAN objected to this lastmentioned line being taken up the seaboard. ' To spend money in that way wus cruel and , sinful. > Mr JACKSON PA&MER combated the doleful prophreios of Mr Meredith, and condemned the efforts of members who tried to injure tho credit of the colony. Money sprint on publio worl;a_ was not' lost, and railway?, roads, iind bridges were the baekbono of the colony. Mr WILFORD paid that r.nv member who ' believed that tho finance of the country wa» bad should go over to (tie Opposition. Ho agrcod with tho expenditure of money on reproductive .works, and heartily supported the bill. Proper encouragement was not given to local ■ manufacturers, and last year £127,000 had been sent out of the country for-locomotives which could have been constructed in tho eolonv.

Mr KLL considered the amount <jf the loan phould lio cut dow;:, ami if a proposal wore made in this direction ha would punport it. AYith regard to loan conversions, ho did not tMnk the colony would'be able to convert ils Joans in such it way ijmt much saving would lio e-ffcclcd in interest.

Tin; debate was interrupted by tho 5.30 adjournment. Mr ELL i;£vp notice to introduco the Klcctivo Legislative Council Bill,. EVENING SITTING. Tlis House resumed at 7.30. . Mr ELL, cpnlimiing his speech, urged that an attonjnt should be made to supply our financial requirements without going jo the foreign .money-lender, and .showed how he considered (ilia end might bo largely attained.

Mr ROBERT THOMPSON saw nothing io fear from borrowing money as long us it was properly sp-jiiK, and lie hoped that nothing would be dono to hinder tho Government in raising the nionoy at a reasonable price aftev this bill passed. H*o suggested that tho Ofago Central mid Midland railway lines should Im> hung up until the 'North Island Main Trunk line had been Some such arriuigoEttnt ai this would faoilitate the speedy construction of the North Island line, which W. 13 a national work. The Government should bring in an amendment of tlio tad Act this session lo do away with, tho -present abominable gambling system of ballot. Mr FISIIER strongly 'supported' the bill, and reiterated his former statements that the expenditure of at least £1,000,000 a year of borrowed money was required for' tlio growing requirements of the.'colony, which was always ahead of its liabilities. ■ As to the North Island Trunk railway, he could not see how it could bo completed in four or five years. Ho looked upon the Wai-para-Picton line as a work of national necessity, ... Mr WITHEFORD urged that tho colony's representatives in tho Old Country should make ovory effort to secure for the colonv's products a foothold in the Home .Wwkets before the 'opportunity was lost. More money spoilt in advertising our products in otner countries.

fe'JA-?IE8 ALLEN contended that this bill, together with other borrowing; acts, would enable tho Government to borrow £+,500,000, and he thought the colony-ought to (realise the fact that it was possible to go a little too far. Ho did not dany that it was nseessarj' to borrow, but ho did deny ■thai there was any necessity for borrowing at the rate proposed by the Government. In committee he-would move, if no one 'Isa did so, that tho loan should be reduced to a more moderate amount. The Minister should liavo. asked tho colony to deny'itself luxuries, arid Imvo gono ou with t-he extension of lines that extension, and if any lines were required to .open up country they should have beeirligbt lines of railway of the existing gauge. On purely unproductive works our expenditure" haa been increasing at an abnormal rate, especially on public buildings, many of which were luxuries. Tbero had also been huge increases in the contingent defence expenditure, and,it was a question whether the colony could sffprd it. Those tviio Urged tho Government io go in for a huge scheme of borrowing woro not tho true frioiide of the colony.

Mr M'NAB did not see thai it would bo prejudicial to the position of tho eolonv to borrow tho money proposed in • this biii without proportionately reducing: the other farrowing powers of the -.Mr .Tames Allen had urged f reduction of the loan, but would he (Mr Allen), state by what amount he was prepared to reduce the allocation for tho Otagc Central lino .>3 compared with last year's jote. Mr M'Nab went on to say that when tho Otngo (Jentral lino reached Alexandra lie thought it should stop for a timo, and tho money ba diverted to other lines. Mr Allen had complained of increase in the contingent dofonce expenditure, but he lwd licit Stated how the Government could h»\o avoided that expense in the face of the demands tot'had born made for strengthening the dsfonow of lh« colony. , Mr MILLAR admitted llie Nortl) Island Main Trunk line was the principal railway work in hand at the present time, and if North.'lsland members wero prepared ; to' forgo . voterf for other linos and asic' the Government to eoncontrate tho wliokyjnonoy available -this year for railway conslrpotjoji on that line he was prepared to take a reduction in his own voto for that purpose. What lie objected to was the espeiiditure' of 'borrowed money on unproductive works. Mr-Millar -went <u\ (6 review the .financial position of the colony and the increase in certain departments that v.-ould' lie brought to account next year. In face pf the figiitos he ouotod, lm asked how long the- colony could go on borrowing at tho rate it was doing without increasing taxation. His personal opinion was that it could not go on very long. Ho did not blame the Government for tho large amount of money that was lying idle in unproductive works. Mem-, bfirs had forced them into the position; but he thought the Government should go on with what they considered te Ho .the most important lines of the colony, irrespective of' what members thought. f , 1 ■ Mr NAPIER, in reply to a suggestion that had been made that the North Island Main Trunk line was not likely to pay, raid ■there wero ifeeti amounting to £5,000,000. being PA,000,000 worth of timber. and £1,000,000 worth of land, to its rwlit, • Morally Fpenking. those assets should bo devoted to Jhe line. With regard io tho •increase in tho contingent defence vole, lie 'pr.inted out that this year's largo total was not iikolv /in reour. as a. great proportion of it had ken expended oil now riflep. .

.Mr COLLINS said it was apparently licccssary that the proposed amount should be borrowed, hnt the Government must toko the responsibility for it. He complained that before the amount was voted thV Public Work? Statement should have baen bought down, and that the House should have niora oontrol over the amounts allocated : before they got that power. However, the Public. Rovaaucs Aet Amendment Act would Imvo to he repealed. When that wan passed lie knew members would live to rccret it. This debate was adjourned till 2.30. tomorrow on the motion of Mr Arnold. ']'lw House rose at. midnight.